Those of you who have followed this blog (as irregular as it has been) have read my previous posts and poems by Mahvash Sabet, a Bahá’í prisoner of conscience immorally incarcerated in her native Iran because of her Faith. She is one of seven such unfortunates who are referred to as the Yaran or Bahá’í 7. It is with great joy that the Bahá’í world recently announced her release from prison, after enduring ‘ten years of unjust imprisonment and harsh treatment.’

Mahvash’s poems come from her wonderful book of poetry, Prison Poems, available here in the United States and here in Great Britain. I recommend you obtain a copy of this volume as soon as you can.

Mahvash Sabet’s release does not, sadly, indicate a softening in the hard-line government of Iran’s attitude to the human rights abuse of members of the Bahá’í Faith—there are still nearly 100 Bahá’ís incarcerated in Iran, including some of the original Yaran. Nor is Iran the only country guilty of such duplicity. Hamed Kamal Muhammad bin Haydara, a Bahá’í in Yemen, was recently sentenced to hanging, solely because of his religion.

Still, we take what joy we can in this world when we can. In light of Mahvash’s joyous release, I would like to feature another of her poems, particularly apt now:

The Blossom

The prayer of the flower was answered.

After giving up its colour, leaving a complexion jaded,
after giving up its fragrance, with a scent that had faded,
after leaving all its petals drop down one by one—at last
it turned into a tender fruit: one of the finest.

Would that our lives might blossom with such taste.

Would that our lives might…

Thank you for visiting the Book of Pain. As always, I look forward to your comments. To see my photography blog, please visit the Book of Bokeh.

Thank You John for speaking out on behalf of Mahvash and all who are mistreated, imprisoned and even killed because of their religion. Her book, Prison Poems was both fascinating and difficult to read …. difficult because it is discouraging that there is so much hatred in our world, so much inhumanity. Her words touched me deeply. I pray that Mahvash can recover from all the trauma and that she so bravely endured. I am so happy to learn of her release.